Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-05
4 ROMANCE.
The Time-Honored Tale of the North
Carolinians About Marshal Ney
Revived by Physicians.
Tie Remains Exhumed by Nine Eminent
Doctors and Their Report Pub
lished to the World.
The People Still Believe the Bones of the
Commander of the Old Guard Re
pose in the North state.

THIRD CREEK, n. c., May 4.-Seversl
prominent physicians of the Salisbury
section sometime since decided to ex-
hume the remains of Peter S. Ney from
their grave near this place, flor the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether they are
those of the famous Marshal Ney of
France, who commanded the Old Guard
at Waterloo. OF all the romauces which
have had their inception in North Caro-
lina, this is one of the greatest In
1916, Ney appeared in this state. He
was singulsf man, and from the very
first attracted attention, although he used
all possible means to avoid publicity. He
taught school in Iredell and Roman coun-
ties. Among his pupils were men who
afterwards became prominent. Certain
facts were aSCertained about tlfS singular
man which fixed the belief IN the neigh
borhood that he was really Marshal Ney 5
IN spite of the historical fabt that
he was duly shot in Paris. For years
the matter has been discussed not
only here but in sill parts of the country
and abroad. DIR. Lyman Draper, presi-
dent of the Wisconsin Historical society,
has taken deep interest in the matter,
and in the past two years great deal has
been written on the subject. At the re-
quest of DR.. Draper some of the most
prominent physicians of Salisbury agreed
to eX1ume the body and to make 4 care
full examination of the skull. Marshal
Ney's skull was trephIned, and if the
skull was found to have been similarly
operated upon, it would be concluded that
Marshal Ney was this school teacher. A
Frenchman from an adjoining cOun-
ty who had been soldier
under Marshal Ney, and moved to Amer
lea, was at public gathering one day and
recognized the school teacher as his old
commander. He threw ~ his hands,
and tXcldIming, "MOl DieU." greeted
Marshal Ney with demonstration. Ney
said that was not his name, and with his
right hand waved him off, placing his in
dex finger over his mouth, indicating
silence. Both men soon left the crowd
and were afterWard seen in private con-
ference. Four Gays after the battle of
Waterloo Marshal NeY in a speech before
the court of peers advised a treaty
of peace, and there publicly
announced his intention to go to
America, thus showing his attention was
turned toward this country. A gentle
man who nursed Peter New and was with
him at mis- death and burial, said yester-
day Ny was perfectly conscious at the
time; that he talked about his wife and
children, and stated several times, while
on his death-bed, thst he was Marshal
Ney, and repeated 1t not an hour before
death. La dressing him for burial he
found that Ney had been wounded in
the thigh, neck, side and wrist,
and had lar. scar like g sabre cut
on his head. After the consultation yes
terday II was decided upon for: the ex-
humation. At al early hour citizens of
the surrounding country and neighboring
towns began to come in and q large
crowd gathered. In the assemblage
were many of Ney's pupils, these being
old men now, their ages ranging from
sixty to seventy five years.
At l O'Clock the physicians in
charge announced that they had no
pecuniary interest in the matter, and that
the exhumation was entirely in the inter
est Ct history. When the grave was
opened nothing was found except few
of the largest homes, some coffin nails,
and small remnant of one plank. The
gentlemen in charge made the following
report: "The undersigned physicians
wish to state that according to previous
notice We did to-day cause to be ex-
humed the remains Of Peter S. New in
the presence Of a great many witnesses.
We found some of the bones ONLY
and these in state of such decay that
we cannot state positively whether the
skull had ever been trephined or not.
We made diligent search for the bullets
said to have been in the body, but found
none. We succeeded so far as to ascer-
tain that the skeleton was five feet, ten
inches long, and the skull around above
the eyes about twenty-four inches in cir
This statement is signed
by nine of the most prominent physicians
in this section. The skull measured
"a inches across the forehead
and eight inches from point
above the eyes to the rear of the head.
The right side was well preserved, but
the left was Crumbled. ALI the bones
were returned to the grave. Let the
opinion of this days work be what it
may, it will be long time before those
straightforward people will be induced
to change their long cherished opinion
that their old teacher was any other than
Marshal Ney.